Stronger
by Xander2013
Summary: When Kurt is thrown into the Hunger Games on his last eligible year, he faces extreme challenges unlike any the games have ever seen. Kurt needs to keep his wits about him, as strategy becomes the only means of survival in a game designed to reinvigorate a stale event. Kurtofsky, Some graphic deaths  this is the Hunger Games, people!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- Happy Hunger Games, everyone! I bring you something that I think is missing from the world of fanfiction: more crossovers!**

**I have been toying around with the idea of a Glee/Hunger Games crossover and have decided to get it done. This first chapter is essentially like a pilot episode just to gauge what everyone thinks. **

**This will also divert from The Hunger Games a lot as we move on. There really are no characters from that universe (with the exception of a few cameos) and I have plans for a drastically different story than what happened originally.**

**Also, this is a Kurtofsky fic, but the relationship will be slow to develop and won't play the biggest role. **

**Full Summary: When Kurt is thrown into the Hunger Games on his last eligible year, he faces extreme challenges unlike any the games have ever seen. In a contest that seems to break all of the rules, Kurt needs to keep his wits about him, as strategy becomes the only means of survival to get out of the arena. Can he become the winner of the games and make it home, when doing so means losing a special tribute from another district that he never should have allowed himself to become close to in the first place?**

**Legal: I own nothing and receive no compensation for this fic. I do this for free for the enjoyment of others. **

The forest was calm, not a single sound reached our ears as we sat in silent anticipation of the potential game that could be on its way to us. We were situated at the edge of a small clearing in the woods. We didn't come to this area often, there being a risk of being seen from the sky if we were to spend too much time without the cover of treetops. If it weren't a special day, we wouldn't have tried, but either way today went we would either want to celebrate or mourn. A treat was in order for our families.

We didn't talk during times like these out of necessity. It would have been counterproductive to wait all this time for the possibility of scoring enough food for a week or two in a single kill and ruin said opportunity with talking. It was easy for us though. We could take solace in each other's company without feeling the stress of keeping up a front for the sake of society. Relationships like ours were difficult at the best of times. At least we could say we loved each other. It was better than some people in District 12 could say. In fact, I think we had it better than most couples in our position did.

Blaine was the hunter out of District 12. His knowledge of how to ensnare just about any animal along with his deadly prowess with a bow made him lethal in the woods. I wished I could say I had as much to offer him, but it seemed more to me that he kept me along as a novelty as opposed to being a partner. I knew he liked having me, and I wasn't totally useless.

Not long before we were about to give up and head back, fortune smiled down on us. A rabbit wondered just into our line of sight. It didn't sense our presence and stood blissfully unaware that its life was about to come to an end. Without hesitation, Blaine pulled back the string on his bow and sent an arrow right into the eye of the furry animal, bringing our count for the morning to five; enough to trade as well as keep some for ourselves. Blaine let out a huff of air, finally letting himself slip from hunter mode as he went to fetch the rabbit.

"Kurt, why don't you go check the snares while I pack this little guy up?" Blaine asked and I obediently shot up to do as I was asked. It was getting easier every day to do that without question.

I checked each one that I had set, this being one of the few things I was truly good at in the hunting department, and was able to gather two squirrels out of the whole thing. We really did have a haul today, all the more to trade with. With the berries we had picked earlier, I felt confident that I would be able to keep dad and I well fed for at least a week. I rushed back to Blaine with a little extra zip in my step. I walked up to my soon to be official boyfriend as he was finished packing the day's spoils. Showing him what I had to add, his grin widened and he picked me up into a spin, almost making me lose the squirrels. He gave me a light kiss and I fell for him all over again.

"Blaine, if you don't stop you're going to have me swooning all over you the entire way back," I said, playfully going for the dramatics he always thought were so cute. It worked, and his joyful smile turned more loving.

"Maybe I want you swooning all over me. Have you ever thought of that?" His attempt at pouting was an utter failure given the mood he was in.

"Well, be that as it may, I would rather have my wits about me until we are safely back inside the district. I don't want to be falling all over myself because of you just to attract some unwanted attention," I reasoned with him. His pout deepened like it always did when we played like this. It was routine. It was something we were comfortable with. Comfortable was good. I would always be glad for what I had with Blaine. If I never thought about what being with Blaine meant, then it wouldn't cause problems. He would never take advantage of me in the ways some might. It was all I could ask for.

We walked back to the fence we had crawled through. It had been well before dawn at that time, making it possibly closer to nine or ten now. It was a holiday today, so it wasn't as dangerous to be out this late in the morning. We talked and bantered on the way, the talk becoming much less as we came closer to our destination. Once within earshot of anyone who could have potentially seen us, we were dead silent as we had been in the clearing. As was typical, no one was really there and the electric fence had no such power flowing through it. It was always better to air on the side of caution with these things.

Once back, we set out to sell what we had gathered that we weren't planning on keeping. Blaine and I each kept a rabbit and a squirrel, neither one of us still completely out of meat and each of us took a third of the berries. With what we traded, we each were able to add a loaf of bread and some left over money to our stockpiles. All in all, it had been one of the better hunts we had ever had. Perhaps today wasn't going to be so bad after all.

"Alright, I'm going to head home. Are you going to be alright walking home by yourself, Kurt?" If anyone else had been around, it would have been a test. I was expected to answer a certain way given the direction our relationship was headed. I trusted Blaine. I knew his intentions were pure and he genuinely was asking me.

"I'm fine, Blaine. I don't want to keep you. We both have to get ready. It's kind of a big day." Whatever remained of our good mood from earlier was gone now. We both sobered, knowing full well that this could easily be the last time we saw each other like this.

Neither one of us were the most likely to be pulled for the reaping out of the boys in District 12. As hard as life was for us, many people had it harder. I couldn't remember the last time dad or I had gone without something to eat. It wasn't always much, but we were never starving. Blaine had it marginally easier than my family, but not by much. What it meant for us was that there were plenty of boys who had a higher chance than us to be pulled from that bowl. Except, it only took having your name in there once to be called. There were no sure things when it came to the Hunger Games.

"Hey, don't worry," he said, trying to assuage my fear. He always knew what I was feeling. "You and I will be fine. You don't need to worry. I won't let them take you away from me."

"That worries me more." I couldn't say that my biggest fear was having my name pulled, but more for what would happen if Blaine were the one to be called. I didn't know what would happen to me without him. I had already made so many choices for my life when I decided to be with him. There wasn't much going back from where I stood now.

He smiled softly and took me into his arms. He didn't say anything, knowing that there wasn't much to say at this point. He just offered me a moment of safety. In this moment, I was safe.

"I'll see you after the reaping." He kissed my forehead and took off with his load of food. I did the same and made my way to the other side of the district where my father would be pacing the floors, trying to pretend he wasn't worried about me but still keeping a diligent eye out for my return.

I walked into the small, four room house that my dad and I shared. It was more than enough room for the two of us. It was actually bigger than any other two-person family would have in District 12, but it was from a time when my mother was still alive, and it would have been a perfect fit if she were still here. I could tell that dad thought it was empty, missing something that could never be replaced. I wished he could find someone to make him happy. If he weren't always so concerned about me, then he might be able to do that.

"Good morning, dad." How did you sleep last night?" I asked, trying to make conversation to avoid the argument I could feel coming.

"Terrible. I never sleep good before a reaping," he responded, never taking his eyes off of me. He knew me too well to let this go.

"Well, who could blame you? Anyway, why don't I fix us a nice breakfast? I know you don't like to eat when your nerves flare up, but it really wouldn't be good to miss a meal on such a stressful day." I was glad I had the problem of arguing my father into eating as opposed to us being lucky just to have a meal. It wasn't always this good. Dad finally eyed up the bounty Blaine and I had gotten and his face took on another sour look.

"I thought you told me you and Blaine weren't going out with the Capitol people being so close." He said it very casually, but his face belied his true feelings of fear and anxiety that permeated almost anything that had to do with Blaine anymore. My father loved me for who I was, but hated what society expected me to become in exchange for acceptance. Helpless was probably an oft-used word when he thought about himself in regards to me.

"It was better to go now before they even got here than wait and have a few linger. We figured it we could scrape up enough food for a week or so, we would be fine. We even got enough money from what we sold to make that trip stretch out." I tried to reason with his logical side, but it was papa bear Hummel that was out to play today.

"It still doesn't change the fact that I'm going to worry about you whenever you go out with him." Dad was playing a dangerous game. He couldn't outright say he didn't like Blaine, it would mess things up for me and he knew it. He also knew that as much as he disliked the position I was in, Blaine was the lesser of all the evils. He would keep me safe.

Being gay in Panem wasn't an easy thing. I had heard stories in school about how the very thought of people of the same gender being together caused discomfort and, in some cases, violence against the people involved. This was all before the Capitol came out with a new resolution, effectively making it perfectly fine for two men or two women to be together. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch, as they say. There were certain restrictions that made it possible for the people to be able to comprehend and accept such a relationship.

For two men, it was determined that one of the partners needed to be the "passive" partner in the relationship. While there was nothing expressly stated when it came to heterosexual relationships, many people ran on the assumption that it was normal compared to a typical opposite sex relationship. They assumed it when they thought about us but never lived it in their own lives. It was a painful irony for me.

One partner, typically the poorer or younger, would file papers with the Capitol that essentially marked him as the lesser partner, in that relationship and all others after. He would give up most rights to his partner and be the sole responsibility of the men in his life. It offered a lot of protection as well, making the "real" man in the relationship responsible for both of their actions. I never really saw it as much of a benefit, but I was desperate for silver linings.

It was archaic, and not something I wanted to do. I was marking myself as a lesser being just so that I could be myself. In the eyes of everyone who mattered, I was already judged to be passive. I was too girly, too frail to ever be considered a "man" in the eyes of the government. If I wanted to pursue a relationship with a man, I would have to accept the fact that I would never be equal. In reality, I wouldn't even really have much of a say in who I wound up with if I hadn't found someone before I applied for my status change. That was where Blaine came in; the only one I knew wouldn't abuse the power he would hold.

Thus: my father's dilemma. Once I was labeled a passive gay, my father had the final word in who I would be with. I didn't have a right to pursue anyone for my own, and needed my father to find someone to give me away to. Blaine was the abnormal one, who would only take me if my father supported the idea. If he bowed out, I had no idea who would come for me.

"Dad, I'll be fine," I said, not really talking about the hunting. He harrumphed and went back to cleaning his tools. I began making a nice breakfast for us, anything to take my mind off of anything to do with the Capitol: men, laws, and Hunger Games alike.

* * *

><p>We ate our breakfast in silence, neither of us wanting to speak what was on our minds as anything there wouldn't be good. I would need to be getting ready soon, the last time I would have to feel this way on the day of the reaping. I held onto the hope that in a few hours, my father and I would be able to come home and breath a sigh of relief.<p>

My dad took care of cleaning the kitchen, a task that was usually left for me, in order to give me time to make myself look good for the ceremony. I wasn't really celebrating anything; however, I was not one to miss an opportunity to look good. There was such little occasion to look nice in District 12 that I rarely tried very hard. My clothes would just wind up getting dirty, effectively ruining them. Most of them were hand made by me and I tried to keep them as nice as possible.

Today, as grim as it was, was a special day. I went for a simple ensemble, but one that would make me pop, no less. While most of the boys would be wearing dull, diluted white and grey shirts and some form of dress pants that would mostly be black or tan. My shirt was a slight blue, carrying the tones of the sky on a bright summer day. To keep the outfit symmetrical with the others but still against the norm, I wore black pants. Mine, however, were not faded and haphazardly made. I took time to make these pants look fabulous, being a true, deep black and still as pristine as the day I sewed them.

To accessorize, I placed my mother's necklace, a beautiful pendant of emerald, around my neck. It was unusual here in District 12, to have something so beautiful and of such value. I wouldn't be surprised if I was told that the value of the small emerald was worth more than all the coal our district could mine in a year. If I wanted to, I would be able to provide a lot for my father and me if I would sell it. I could never make myself do it though. It was all I had left of my mother.

My mother was a special person in District 12. She was originally from District 1, having moved to our district by choice. It was unusual for people to be allowed to move from one district to another. Not many people even tried. For some reason, she was approved the move. Maybe they weren't as worried about citizens moving to the less desirable districts. Nobody from District 12 would ever be allowed to move to District 1, of that I was sure. I had never learned what her reason was, dad never telling me. Whatever her reason, I was glad I had something so beautiful to remind me of her.

Checking my outfit a final time, I joined my father outside as we walked to the central square together.

* * *

><p>I was separated from my father and moved to get in line with the other boys of District 12. I could see Blaine further over in my row to my left. He gave me a short wave and a wink, trying to tell me that everything was going to be all right. I wished I could believe him so easily. As much as I didn't want him to be chosen, I couldn't help but quake in fear at the mere thought of my name being called.<p>

Up on stage, everything was all set and the people from the Capitol were already here. There were extra peacekeepers here, as there always were. The Mayor, Mr. Figgins was seated up on stage as he always was. He never seemed to be really comfortable with the Capitol people. He liked his image as the respected authority figure, and it was somewhat undermined when anyone Capitol related arrived. He must have been faced with the idea that he really didn't have much power at all. I couldn't help but feel bad for him, since he really was a nice man.

Next to him, was the man from the Capitol who would be the escort for the tributes on their way to the Hunger Games. Will Schuester was a skinny man, who clearly spent a lot of time on his hair. This wasn't strange for people from the Capitol, and truth be told he was more tame than most. His hair was usually flared up into a curly mess, somehow defying gravity and the laws of science in general. His clothes were fairly simple and plain by Capitol standards, and he would look fine if it weren't for the gaudy designs he wore in his clothes. His smile just screamed "clueless" as he looked out into the crowd.

There was a last seat on the stage, empty as it normally was for the opening ceremony. Our last and only living champion of the games wasn't known for operating on anyone's timetable but hers.

When everyone was in place and the clock struck noon, the national anthem began to play, signifying the start of the reaping. My hands began to shake from the nerves and adrenaline coursing throughout my entire being. At the end of the anthem, Mayor Figgins stood up to give the traditional speech about the Hunger Games. I tuned this out at this point in my life, having heard the thing every year. I just had to make it through today, and I would be home free.

As his speech winded down, Mayor Figgins let Will Schuester take the stage.

"Happy Hunger Games everyone!" Will opened, his smile falling on what would have been a hostile crowd if our lives didn't depend on good behavior. I was fairly sure he wished he didn't have to be stuck with District 12 to represent every year. We never won the games, and so our district didn't carry much weight in the Capitol. He still did his job with a cheesy smile like nothing was wrong. I had to give him credit for that. Or, I would have if I didn't carry the typical loathing for people in the Capitol. There was no getting over the fact that this man lived a great life at our expense.

"I hope everyone is just as excited as I am. I know that we're all eager to find out who our tributes are this year, so let's get..."

"What, starting the ceremony without me, William?" Came the voice of the only previous champion to reside in District 12, Sue Sylvester. She had a lot of guts showing up far past the appointed time. It was almost an annual thing. It was no secret that she disliked our chaperone, Will. How she was still alive amazed me considering the things she pulled. Needless to say, I feared her just a little. Will looked moderately annoyed, but kept his good humor up for the sake of his job.

"How good of you to join us, Sue. I was just about to find out who you will be mentoring this year." Will said, trying to keep control of the situation. With Sue, you were never in control.

"Well, by all means, please continue. The sooner we get on with this, the sooner we can all shed a sigh of relief at removing that monstrosity on your head from our humble little district." Always having the last word, she ended the conversation by taking her seat, looking bored and inconvenienced. Will rebuffed her insult, although showing his annoyance more than before, and continued with the reaping.

"Alright, why don't we get back to things? Ladies first..." he said, reaching for the bowl that contained the names of all of the girls in the district. He reached in and, with a flourish, pulled out a single slip. Taking the time to wring out the drama, he hesitated in reading the name.

"Santana Lopez!"

I felt my stomach drop a little. It was a girl in the same age group I was, and someone I knew somewhat from school. Santana and I had never gotten along, and I wouldn't call us friends; but still, it was someone I knew. It stung a little.

Santana's face was void of emotions, not quite carrying her usual air of confidence and superiority but still not showing any fear or weakness either. She made herself on stage where Will was waiting to shake her hand and congratulated her. She barely made contact with him, and turned out towards the audience, never really looking at anyone.

"And with that, let's see who will be joining Santana in the arena." Will made his way to where the bowl of boys names were, and I tensed once more. I was so focused on my name, that I almost didn't hear it when it wasn't what was called from the man's lips.

"Blaine Anderson."

**Thank you for taking the time to read the first chapter of Stronger. Let me know what you thought. I hope to have the next chapter out soon. **

**We will be seeing a very large portion of the characters from Glee in various roles. I will tell you this, casting for this fic was a nightmare. **

**I have tried to catch as many mistakes as I could. I'll be honest; I really wanted to get this fic out there to see the response. I will be better in the future about editing. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- Hello and thank you so much for the couple of reviews I got as well as the alerts. I am glad that this is getting even a little attention.**

**This chapter was hard to get out, only because I am really excited to get to the games. I am also looking forward to coming events since we get to meet Dave next chapter and all the problems that will cause. I am hoping for a Friday to Sunday update time frame for every week. I know this didn't really fit, but things are in a busy upturn right now. I should be able to stick to that though.**

**Legal-Still own nothing and I make no profit from this. Purely for amusement and my own writing development.**

* * *

><p>It was panic, a feeling so strong that forced the wind right out of me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing when Will called out Blaine's name. He couldn't be taken away from me. We had our lives all planned out, ready to make something for ourselves. We would live and die as happily as we could in District 12, never having to worry about the Hunger Games again. It was so perfect, yet I could see it all unraveling before me as time marched forward without me. I couldn't simply let this happen when Blaine would have been so willing to protect me.<p>

I stepped out of line and rushed to the center of the square, kept clear as a divider between the boys and the girls. Blaine was already half way to the stage when I found my voice, ringing out my dissension loud and clear.

"I Volunteer!" There was a chilled moment in the crowd, everyone digesting what had just happen. I had done something unheard of in our district. There was never a time I could remember anyone volunteering for another tribute, even if that year's tribute had been a child. It was an unspoken rule in District 12 that when it came to the Hunger Games, we were all alone. Everyone looked on with expressions of shock, intrigue, and sadness mixing through the crowd. Will looked absolutely thrilled that someone in his district was finally showing some excitement.

"Well, it is certainly nice of you to step forward like that; however, tradition usually calls for..."

"It doesn't matter. I volunteer, and that's all you need to know," I said, cutting Will off from what I was sure would be a very detailed report on how the reaping for the games was supposed to go.

"Oh, well..." He fumbled, just as mystified at where my attitude had come from as I was. It had been a long time since I felt like cutting into people like I used to. Being with Blaine had really helped quell the "bitch beast" that my dad had dubbed me in my moments of pure icy disdain for all things exasperating.

I passed Blaine on my way up to the stage. I stood waiting when our paths crossed, not entirely sure why. I knew he had the power to send me right back and end this little diversion I had created. Every tribute had the right to deny a volunteer the right to take their place. His name had been drawn, so everything from this point on was his decision. I was mostly expecting him to rebuff my offer and send me back in line to mourn his almost certain death. When it became apparent that he was only going to look at me with a mixture of shock and, if I was reading him correctly, a bit of despair, I simply continued up the stage.

As I took my place with Will introducing me to all of Panem, I felt nothing. Perhaps I was hurt that Blaine had done nothing to stop me, although I had made the decision to volunteer and was fully ready to take on that responsibility. Still, was he not going to fight for me at all? Before I was even done with the thought, I let it slide away completely. It wasn't that he wasn't going to fight for me because he didn't want to, but that he really didn't have much choice for practicalities sake. If he went, then my father and I would surely suffer in our quality of life as most of our fortunes were brought on because of him. If I was the one to go, then he would continue taking care of my father and all would be better that way. It was the best plan that I never knew Blaine must have had.

The rest of the event went on without a hitch, everyone still recovering from my outburst. There were some members of the crowd rejoicing, as morbid as it was. They were now safe; either for another year or for the rest of their lives because I took a stand. I couldn't bear to look out to see what my father was feeling, knowing I would be seeing him soon enough to say goodbye.

"Everyone, with that, say goodbye to your tributes as they take off for the Capitol to prepare for the games," Will presented us to the crowd a final time and Santana and I were whisked into the justice building to be given time to say our goodbyes in private with our friends and family members.

I was taken to a small room that I had never been in before. I knew my dad and Blaine would visit me, and I was sure that would be it. I had acquaintances in the district and friends from school, but there was no reason for them to come and see me like this.

My dad was the first to come in, as expected. For the first few minutes, we just held each other. We both knew full well that it was likely that to be the last time we saw each other. We wouldn't sour the moment with what I had done. The shame of leaving my father alone was almost too much to bear. I was the first to break the silence, knowing that we didn't have unlimited time. Even then, my father was my biggest priority.

"You need to promise me you'll take care of yourself. Stay as healthy as you can. Blaine will still take care of you as far as food is concerned. Just take what he offers and please don't let your pride stop you," I said firmly, knowing my father and his views on charity. It wouldn't be as bad on him just having to provide for himself, but I needed to be sure he would be okay.

"I will, Kurt. More importantly, I don't want you going into this thinking it's the end. I want you to fight. You promise your old man that you're going to try to win this. I'm never going to give up hope as long as you stand a chance." There were tears in his eyes at this point; he had tried so hard to keep them back.

"I'll try," I croaked out truthfully. I wasn't going to give up either. I just didn't think I really stood a chance.

"I mean it. You may not be the strongest one going into this thing, but you have a good head on your shoulders, kiddo. You keep those wits about you and outsmart all those damn kids and you come back home, you hear me?" His words neared a frantic pace, the doors opening for the peacekeepers to fetch him.

"I do, dad. I'll come back to you, I promise!" The last of my words had to reach him on a shout, the peacekeepers having come to tear us away at the end of our allotted time. I refused to let the sobs that were just below the surface break through. There wasn't a time for that anymore. From here on out, I would not show weakness. I needed to fight my way though this.

I sat in anticipation, waiting for Blaine to come in next. I stood waiting for what seemed to be an exceptionally long time if they were just escorting my dad out before letting my next visitor come in. I wasn't told exactly how long Santana and I were being given for our goodbyes, but I couldn't anticipate them lasting much longer. We were due to leave for the Capitol any minute, and Blaine hadn't been shown in yet.

I had almost given up hope, when the doors to the room opened and Blaine finally walked in, looking harassed and like he was ready to fall apart from the stress he must have been under. When the doors closed behind him, we simply stood there watching each other. I could only speculate, but it seemed to me that Blaine was almost angry. At me or at the situation, I couldn't be sure.

Whatever he was feeling, he overcame it and brought himself over to where I stood, embracing me in a strong hug.

"Kurt, why did you do it? This wasn't your burden to bear," he whispered, shielding me from everything that had transpired in the past few hours. He was my rock once again.

"I know, but I had to. You mean too much to my family and me. I can't let them take you." I let my body melt against him as he took over for me. When I was with Blaine, sometimes I didn't even need to think. He took on the world for me and I could simply be. His being there gave me a renewed strength that I was sorely missing moments before. "Besides, I made a promise to my dad. I told him I would try to make it home. Maybe this isn't goodbye for us."

He scoffed a bit, a light sound, but one that wrenched me from my serene state "Sweetie, you can't possibly think you'll survive. At least I had a chance; you can't even go out hunting on your own."

It was a slap to the face. He was so convinced that I had no chance at all to come home alive. After all, he only took me hunting with him to humor me, he practically said as much before. There was nothing strong about me in his eyes. I could see the progression of this year's Hunger Games through his eyes: I would run, I wouldn't get any good weapons or supplies, I wouldn't be able to hunt for food and I would starve to death. This was all assuming I even made it through the first day. He was right; I didn't have much of a chance when you weighed the odds. But that wasn't the point.

I found myself becoming angry, wondering where he got off casting me off before I had even left. I may not have had his natural skills, but I had a will to survive, and I wasn't going to just go down without a fight.

"What then, Blaine?" I said, backing away from his embrace, leaving my safe haven behind. "You're just casting me off as a loss already? Would you rather I just off myself as soon as I get into the arena?" His body went rigid, his face betraying no emotion. It didn't take much, but my Blaine was gone.

"Just make sure it happens quick," he said with venom seeping through his every pore. "Spare your dad and me the torment of watching you die slowly since you had to be so quick to act without using your head." He had regretted the words, I was sure. It didn't matter. He never tried to take them back whatever may have been going on in his head.

"Fine, I'll be sure to think of you when I throw myself into the path of one of the career tributes. Wouldn't want this whole ordeal to get to you." I spared him one last glance before pounding on the doors, wanting the peacekeepers to take him away before I was forced to show him how much fight I really had in me. They came, taking me with them instead of removing Blaine. He began to weep as they held him from moving as I was herded out.

"Kurt!" I couldn't just leave it at that. I cared for him too much despite what little confidence he had in me, much less the lack of gratitude he was showing at my having saved his life.

"I'm going to come back, Blaine! I swear it." I said with only the slightest glance, unable to turn around in full. "Keep my dad safe. Don't let him starve!"

With that, we were off and at the train bound for the Capitol before I knew it. As much as I wished I could hurt Blaine for what he had said to me, I wanted desperately to have him with me at that moment. All I had to hold onto was the thought of coming back to him when all this was over; it was all I had to get me through the games. The problem was it didn't feel like anywhere near enough motivation to come home. I missed the power I had felt in his arms before he opened his big mouth.

* * *

><p>As soon as we boarded the train, we were shown to our separate rooms. I was given strict instructions that I was not to leave the room until the train had departed, and that I would then be allowed to move about as I pleased. The peacekeeper, who happened to be very polite despite the fact that I wasn't the most talkative of "guests," gave me the time for dinner and was off. The small but noticeable click when the man left assured me that they meant it when I was told not to go anywhere.<p>

I took survey of the room and had to admit that it was mildly impressive. The bed looked luxurious, which was to a much higher standard than I would have expected on a train that was only meant for travel. Although, when people are used to lives of luxury, it must have been hard dealing with anything less.

The decor of the room left something to be desired in my own opinion. It wasn't as if I had anything so grandiose to compare to, but I could tell good taste when I saw it and this wasn't it. I decided that given the circumstances, I didn't want to be impressed by anything from the Capitol. It was better that I let the sheer tackiness of this single train coat my view of the people that were going to enjoy watching me die rather than feel sympathetic to this supposed individual with supposed taste.

At the time the peacekeeper had said, I heard the distinct click from the door to my room, and I knew it was safe for me to leave for dinner. I made my way back into the hall, unsure of where I was to go. A peacekeeper that was stationed in the hallway pointed to my right, and I followed the direction to the next car. Upon entering, I was blown away by all of the decorations and designs that went into the dining car of a train that was used only a few times a year. There were little glass statues around the room to accentuate the false impression that we were in more than a dining car. The table was unnecessarily large considering that, to my knowledge, there were only four of us that were really taking this trip to the Capitol. It was ridiculous that all of this would be done for a simple day trip.

Aside from the tables and little glass figures, there was also an array of furniture to one side making one area of the car into a makeshift sitting room. The chairs looked uncomfortable at best, and plain tacky when considered against the regal look they were going for in other parts of the car. The contrast of the older styled dining room and more industrial sitting area only succeeded in achieving a look of "gaudy" in my book. It didn't help that rolling my eyes at the rooms design only caused me to focus more on the out of place chandelier hanging above the table.

"Ostentatious," the word slipped from my lips as I stared at the overdone room in horror. "They really don't know how to stop themselves, do they?"

"There you go with those big fancy words," Said Santana, sneaking up behind me from the same hallway I was just in. "You know, I swear you make half of those words up." She said with a sort of sneer. I couldn't tell if she was angry or devilishly happy. I didn't like either possibility.

"Hello, Santana. How nice to see I won't be dining alone after all." It was true, I was beginning to worry that I would be alone for dinner given the absence of any living being. She smirked and took a seat at the table. I made it a point to stay on the opposite side of the table, though not directly across from her. There were knives at the place settings, and I wasn't a fool.

"Look, you can drop the nice act. There are only two reasons for being nice in the Hunger Games: you want to make an alliance, or you're strategizing your kills. I would rather not be a part of either one of those scenarios," she said, dropping her grin and replacing it with a glare. It hurt me for a moment; I needed to keep reminding myself why we were there to begin with. Even at that point, despite what she was saying to me, I knew that I wouldn't be able to kill her without being reminded that we were connected in the very least by our district.

"Santana, why don't you drop your act then?" This got her attention, her attitude flaring just beneath the surface just in case. It was all I could do to channel my inner bitch to keep at her level, needing her to hear what I had to say. "I know you, at least a little. I know you aren't going to back down from this despite the odds. You are going to rise up and, just like I plan on doing, you are going to do everything in your power to win so you can go home. The thing is, neither one of us knows how to do that. We're both at a loss and you know it." Everything was resonating with her at this point, the anger leaking from her features and revealing the skepticism at where I could have possibly been going with this.

"There is one thing I do know, and I know you know it too. You and I will not kill each other." She inched her body towards me, but stopped. A cold realization hitting her. "We don't really know each other, and I wouldn't say we are anywhere near close to friends. Still, I do know that if I had a chance, that if I had a knife to your throat right now, I wouldn't be able to do it. No matter what, you would be that girl from my home that I took away from her family. I don't have it in me. Call me weak, but I can admit it."

"So what if you're right?" she asked. "What is that supposed to prove, that we're both destined to lose?" She leaned back in her chair, contempt written all over her. I took the lack of responding to my little speech as agreement at least on the part about not easily able to kill each other.

"It means that if we can come to an understanding, perhaps we can do something for each other. Shed a burden from our shoulders." Intrigued again, she looked me square in the eyes. Was that a shimmer in her eye...hope, perhaps? "If we both agree that we can't kill each other, we can move forward without worrying about the other one. We don't have to help, defend, protect, or do anything for the other one. We just go forward from this moment with the peace of mind that we have a shot without having to kill someone who would make a win more painful than it needs to be. We can walk into the arena and let whatever happens, happen"

She took a good amount of time to think about what I had said. I was offering her a chance to play this game on a level the other tributes couldn't normally. She looked up with the fire back in her eyes, although the level of animosity was severely diminished.

"Deal. No distractions for us. Whatever happens in the arena happens. I won't save or kill you and I expect the same from you. If we both wind up as the last two...then we'll deal with it then." We would have shook on it, but it was that moment that our mentor, Sue, decided to join us.

She looked around, and I got my first real look at her. Sue never made it a habit of sticking around whenever she left her house in the Victor's Village. I had heard more stories about her than I had actually seen her, and her appearance was mildly surprising. I expected someone more weathered and broken at her age, but she was anything but. Her age showed, but you never would have thought she had lived through the Hunger Games. She carried herself with confidence, not unlike Santana. She was the woman known for not taking anything from anyone. This woman, so strong, was going to be my mentor for the entirety of the games. I knew I needed her, but I was still steeling myself for simply introducing myself to her.

Without glancing at either of us, she grabbed a drink from a nearby cart and sat at the far end of the table, away from us. Santana and I sat in silence for a moment. We both wanted to start some kind of conversation with her, start learning what we needed to know, but Sue was leaving no room for an opening. Santana, being the gutsiest of the pair of us, took the first stab at it.

"So, you're the one who's going to keep us alive?"

"Let me stop you right there," began Sue, neither looking at us nor showing any real interest in having this discussion. "I am not going to keep you alive by any stretch of the imagination. Now, let me explain something to you before you start whining and complaining," she interrupted us before our cries of outrage were even formed in our heads. "I am here because every other district, the ones who actually have a chance, all have mentors as well. If there wasn't the illusion of fairness, then little losers like you wouldn't put on a good show for the Capitol; who, by the way, is the only one who really matters here at the end of the day as far as the Hunger Games is concerned."

"Now, I know you two have dreams of winning this thing in some come from behind victory, thus becoming heroes of the district and going home to whatever group of people spawned your disturbingly ugly faces. I am here to put those dreams to rest. You know what I see right here?" she asked, pausing for effect, us with what I am sure could have only been scandalized expressions on our faces. "I see you," pointing to Santana, "a firecracker casing hiding nothing but a dud, and you," turning to me, "a porcelain doll about to be gifted to a herd of bulls." Santana had heard enough of this, not one to take abuse.

"Who do you think you are? Just because you're so jaded and cynical you get to decide we aren't even worth your help? I'm not going to just roll over and die because you don't feel like doing your job."

"Yet, if I don't do my part, you're pretty much goners anyway." She was right. If she didn't help us by teaching us, then it wasn't a big deal. Santana and I were smart; we could come up with our own strategies despite not having the first hand experience. The problem came with getting sponsors for gifts inside of the arena. Without them, we could easily starve or dehydrate. I have seen those gifts make all the difference in the arena.

"Sue, please!" I urged, needing her to see that we were serious. "We are not taking this lightly and we both want to find a way to win this. One of us could really walk home this year if you would just..."

"Sorry, Porcelain, but I don't think that will be happening. Sue Sylvester only takes time out of her busy schedule for winners, and I don't see any. Now, if you'll excuse me, I checked out of this conversation after I made my point, so I'm gonna go." She was leaving. If we couldn't convince her now, what chance did we have later?

I was beyond afraid at this point, having left that behind in District 12. I was determined to win and the first challenge to that was getting the help of the infuriating Sue Sylvester. I was hoping what I was about to do didn't get me killed, as I didn't put it past her. I picked up the knife by my place set and gripped it lightly. I let muscle memory take over as I watched sue reach the door to the compartment. As her hand reached for the door, my knife zipped out of my hand, sailing through the air and landing mere inches from Sue's head in the wall of the compartment. She froze in place as the object registered in her mind, her head turning to look at me.

I couldn't let it show, but I had to be a slight bit amazed that the knife actually went where I wanted it to. It was one of the things that Blaine had tried to teach me. While the practice I had done was enough to know exactly how to throw, my accuracy was probably closer to fifty percent. I don't know what I would have done if I had missed, but for now I could at least rest assured that Sue thought I was a whiz with a knife.

Sue looked me up and down, looking for something. I refused to back down, knowing this was what she needed. Before I knew what she was doing, she grabbed the knife and sent it flying in our direction without breaking eye contact. Not to be outdone, Santana was prepared with plate in hand, sending it flying to the knife and throwing it off of its intended path. We all just stood there, no one daring to speak. It was only when Will walked in, taking notice of the misplaced dinner ware and asking what happened that Sue broke from the spell.

"Well, looks like you two have some fight in you after all." We stood there expectantly, knowing that despite how small it was we had just won our first part of the games. Without another glance, Sue turned with a call of "Goodnight, losers," and she was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>I have tried to catch my mistakes, but I can only do so much.<strong>

**Please review if you liked it/hated it/have suggestions!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- I'm sorry this is coming a little late. Life has been getting in the way. So, just to show how sorry I am, you get the original long version of this chapter instead of the cut version where I moved a third of it to the next chapter. I thought you would enjoy something long.**

**Thank you for the reviews and the faves/alerts. They really make my day when I get them. **

**Legal: I own nothing and still get no money for this.**

* * *

><p>The rest of the evening remained uneventful after Sue's departure. Will raved about the coming games, the clueless man he was. I supposed that it didn't occur to him or anyone from the Capitol that we tributes didn't look forward to the Hunger Games with excitement. Never the less, Will droned on about how this years game were promising to be unlike any ever played before; a new head gamemaker taking the title with ambitious ideas to make a stale event brand new again. The bottom line was that we were still being carted off somewhere to fight to the death, so there was no interest for me in a conversation on how different the games would be. It was essentially the same thing regardless of the presentation.<p>

The fight with Sue took away most of my appetite. There would be plenty of time for food before the arena, so I made my way back to my room and fell to my bed, asleep before my head hit the pillow.

The next day, Will, knocking with fervor at the excitement at what was apparently a "big big day", pulled me from a dreamless sleep! Used to waking up early, I pulled myself together and dressed in some of the clothes I found that were set-aside for us. They were nicer than even my best clothes back home, and I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity. Before long, we would be passed along through the Capitol, being primped up for shows, parades and other events. It could have been my last chance to dress myself for all I knew, and I wasn't going to waste it. I found a white shirt that looked like it would be a baggy fit, had it not been for the fact that the clothes fit themselves perfectly to my body as soon as the buttons were done up. I could get used to these kinds of clothes.

Under where the shirt had been, there was a grey vest that looked like it belonged to a men's suit, one I knew my father owned and had only seen him wear at my mother's funeral. It looked good so I decided to throw that on top of the shirt. After that, a pair of black pants made of a material so soft and a pair of socks that didn't chafe all the way up my legs. I was almost done. It was only when I was looking at the shoes that my mood deflated; nothing went with the outfit. How typical that the Capitol would fail to deliver.

I was taking a second look at what I had to work with when Santana came into my room. She surprised me a little with what she had picked out to wear. She was wearing a simple top, yet it was better quality than anything we would have seen back home. She wore a black jacket over the white shirt and was wearing a pair of pants made from the same denim material that the coveralls the coal miners wore. Somehow, it looked more fashionable in this form. The boots are what shocked me, not knowing someone like Santana to be the heel wearing type. I suppose it was the fact that she never would have had mush reason to wear them, so I simply wrote it off as something that I never would have had the chance to learn. She smiled approvingly at my outfit in return of my love for her shoes. She had clearly been given a better selection than I.

"What are you looking at, Porcelain?" asked Santana with the usual mockery in her tone. She was in a better mood than she was the previous night.

"First, don't call me that. I think Sue is the only one I would ever let get away with it and that is only because I am secretly afraid of her," Santana snorted at this and I continued. "Second, why did you get all the good shoes? Nothing I have here will go with this outfit." I could practically hear her roll her eyes at the "crisis" I had, but she refrained from saying anything. A product of our agreement to remain neutral with each other. Regardless, she looked at my socked feet and stood, making for the door.

"Your feet don't really look that big," she assessed with a minimal glance in my direction. She left before I could comment on the strange jab at the size of my feet, which actually were somewhat small. Still, why didn't she just call me fat while she was at it?

In a matter of minutes, she was back with a pair of shoes in hand. They were black ankle height boots with the slightest bit of a heel on them. In a word, they were perfect.

"Here, they had an assortment of sizes in my closet to make sure I could find something that fit. This was one of the bigger pairs, so they're probably about where a small man's foot would be. They'll go great with what you have on." Santana handed me the shoes, and I was touched by the gesture.

"Thank you, Santana," was all I could say, this being someone I thought was only capable of sarcasm and disdain.

"No problem, baby gay. Wouldn't want people thinking you are anything less than fabulous. What would people think if they saw you standing next to me in one of those?" She said in the general direction of the dismal show selection. She could say what she wanted, but I chose to see a good side in the girl.

The remainder of the trip was quiet, a moment's respite before the excitement of the opening ceremony. We would have to spend an entire day getting primped and ready for the ceremony where we would be officially shown off to the country. Our stylists would be dressing us up in the most ridiculous of outfits in some way that represents our district. Then, in a new addition this year, Will tells us we need to be presentable for a party where we are meant to actually mingle with guests as well as the other tributes.

"There have been some rule changes for this year's game," he begins to tell us. "In a twist that won't be fully revealed until you guys actually make it to the arena, Sue has to get all of your sponsors before the start of the games. She only has until the morning of the actual games and then whatever you get is what you have to work with for the entire time you're in the arena." This takes us all by surprise. It has always been that sponsors would start coming in after the games started so that items that we actually need would come when we needed them. If everything had to be decided upon before the games began, then every tribute was suddenly at a very large disadvantage.

"How is that going to work?" I ask, a small amount of panic rising inside of me. "How is Sue going to know exactly what we will need before we even step foot in the arena?"

"I honestly don't know," was all Will could provide. "However, I think we need to have a little faith in the gamemakers on this. Obviously they must have something big planned. You might not even need certain things this year. If it's something that everyone has to follow, then at least you will all be on equal footing." He really was trying to help, but I couldn't help but roll my eyes when he said we needed to put some faith in the gamemakers. Having gone mostly unnoticed up to this point, Sue took that moment to chime in.

"Such little faith, Porcelain. You really should be more worried about getting those sponsors than with what I'm going to do with them. Let Sue Sylvester worry about Sue Sylvester and you worry your pretty little head about how to get people to like you."

"Since when have you been concerned with helping us?" Piped in Santana, still sore from the previous night's insults.

"Since I decided that I'm going to make a couple of winners out of you. Now, I want you two to do exactly as I tell you, because this new rule doesn't make things easy for any of us." We focused in on Sue; ready to hear whatever she could tell us about keeping alive. "Now, you two need to represent a united front. It could go either way, but if we can get the Capitol suckers voting for a rag tag team from the gutter district, then we might have a shot at this. You two bring in enough people combined, we have our sponsors to keep the both of you alive."

It was simple, but smart. If we could exploit a soft spot, then we could make the most in sponsor donations. If we had that, it would give us just that much of an advantage that it wouldn't matter that everything would have to be decided before the start of the games.

"The next thing I need from you two is to hold back. I want those other district monkeys thinking you're both weak and worthless; let them make up their minds that you're easy pickings and then throw them completely off balance when it comes time to get training scores. Let them underestimate you." Another easy yet brilliant strategy. If Sue knew what she was doing, then she was taking us the route of playing the whole games as being the underdogs, making come from behind victories.

It was brilliant, except for the fact that it would only work for one of us.

"And while you're making yourselves look like the little heroes you're going to be, I'll muscle my way in with the sponsors and let them know that it would be in their best interest to go with Sue's kids."

"Sue," interjected Will. "You can't do that. This is a legitimate event and you need to behave. The legitimacy of these games are taken very seriously here and it is your job to help Kurt and Santana."

"I'm sorry, William, I can't hear you. All that hideous hair must be dampening your screeching voice from hitting my ears, which are bleeding from the mere thought of having to listen to that squawk of yours."

"Look, instead of making fun of my hair and planning illegal way to get sponsors, why don't you focus on the biggest chance you have of getting those people on your side: the talent night."

"I'm sorry," I broke in, "did you say talent night?"

"Yes, I did. It's another thing being added this year. Since everyone needs sponsors before the games, they made a few new chances to acquire them. The night before, at the interviews, you also have to perform in front of the audience."

"So, what?" asked Santana. "You want us to stand up there and sing our hearts out?"

"Well, only sing if you're good. I'm sure you're both aware that singing is taken very seriously here in the Capitol, and those who can are held in very high regard."

"You certainly love your performers." I murmured, mostly to myself.

"Good idea, William. Let's just throw the kids up there and have them sing about how wonderful the world is and then have everyone burst into random song and dance, extolling the value of togetherness before sending said children to their deaths."

The two argued the rest of the way to the Capitol; giving Santana and I time to ponder how to get the sponsors we needed to stand a chance in the arena. It was going to be hard enough as it was, not knowing what the temperature of the crowd was going to be. Some years they wanted warriors, while others they wanted survivors. We were playing a game of chance, with little room for error.

* * *

><p>Our arrival at the Capitol was a flurry of events that went by far too fast for me to react to. Before I knew it, Santana and I were being led away from the train through a gathering crowd wanting to catch a look at the new tributes before we were thrown up on parade. True to the plan Sue laid out for us, we did our best to look like we were together and waved to the crowd. I found it wasn't all that hard to hide my scowl from view of the crowd, made all the better by the way Santana was handling the situation.<p>

"Simple minded idiots," I heard her mumble only loud enough for me to hear. It caused both of our grins to widen as we walked and waved, insulting the crowd the entire way to the building where we were to meet our stylists. Only once we were behind closed doors were Santana and I separated to be taken off with our own private stylist teams.

The room I was placed in was what I pictured when I thought of those high tech operating rooms that the Capitol had. It was pristine and perfectly white. The tools next to the table looked surgical, making me wonder what organs they would be removing, not about what they would be doing to my hair. I was promptly stripped, the assistants apparently needing no help from me in that task. I felt more parts of my body scrubbed, buffed and polished than I knew was possible. I heard one of the people working on my back marvel at how little they had to do compared to past tributes. If this was the light treatment, I shuddered to think about the torment others went through.

"What are we doing with his hair?" asked the only man of the group.

"Leave it. Apparently there are big plans for him," was the only response and they went back to work. They tried to include me in some small talk, but they were hard at work and wanted to do whatever it was they were doing well.

Before long, they were done and I was told to stay still and that my stylist would be in shortly. I sat on the table, holding a sheet over me to cover what I could. I had never been comfortable with people seeing me without layers of clothing on. It was mortifying the way those people had been all over me with no shred of concern for my decency. I was fuming at the way I was being handled, like some prized animal going to show, when the door opened to a young man who looked sorely out of place.

He was nothing like the people I had seen in the Capitol so far. If I dared say it, he looked normal. He reminded me of Will, only clearly with some sense of style in him. If I didn't know any better, I would say there was a gleam of gold coming off of his skin. It wouldn't be the strangest thing I had seen.

"Stand up. You can keep the sheet on," was his only instruction. I did as I was told and the man who must have been my stylist began to circle me, appraising me. He must have liked what he saw because he told me to sit down and pulled up a tray with lunch on it, a smile on his face.

"It's nice to meet you, Kurt," he said sitting. "My name is Cinna. I'm here to make you look stunning. Although, it doesn't seem like you really need me that much." He gave me a wink and I could feel a blush starting on my cheeks and traveling down my chest. This only made him laugh, not condescending or like he was making fun, just a friendly laugh as if we had known each other for years.

"Well, despite your faith in me, I still think I need you. Otherwise I may just be standing up on that float naked." I tried to stop myself from saying it, but it escaped before I could think properly. There has never been a time when I had seen the District 12 tributes look good during the opening ceremony, one of the worst times being when both tributes were wheeled out naked and covered in coal dust. Despite how amazing I thought I could look in just about anything, I wasn't convinced that was a look I could pull off. I didn't want to give him any ideas.

"Well, we can't let that happen," Cinna grimaced. I believed that he might have been going through the same mental images I was. "I actually have something big planned for you and the girl. I think you two will like it." He started looking at the clothes I had been wearing when I was brought in and smiled approvingly. "It looks like you know what you're doing when you dress yourself." We both laughed a little at that, until something caught his eye. He reached down and came back up holding my mother's necklace that I had been wearing at the reaping, mostly forgotten about to this point. I was surprised I hadn't just left it. It would have devastated me if I had done that.

"It belonged to my mother," I offered. He had a knowing look, sensing that having something from my mother meant a lot to me. He came over and placed it around my neck.

"I think we can work this in."

He said nothing more and pulled me over to the vanity and began working on my hair. He pulled up a small plastic jar and began pulling a limy substance into his hands before working it into my hair. It excited me when I realized what he was using, hair styling products being a luxury I had only ever known once before. I watched as he worked my hair into shapes not naturally possible. When he was done, my once neat looking hair was in a mess, higher and more wild looking yet still maintaining a sense of purpose. It was a controlled chaos, and I loved it.

"There, now you're ready to dazzle the crowd. Here, I have your costume. By the way, you're not afraid of fire, are you?"

* * *

><p>"You two will be amazing. No chickening out on me now." Needless to say, Santana and I were hesitant at the thought of having our costumes set ablaze. Cinna's insistence that the flames were fake did little to assuage our doubt. Knowing we didn't really have a choice anyway, we simply sucked it up and climbed into position. I had to appreciate the coordination that went on between Cinna and Santana's stylist. Our costumes, both rather simple and black, weren't much to look at without this special fire that Cinna kept talking about. However, we both looked like a pair of teammates ready to take on the world. Santana's hair even matched mine with it being the coordinated mess mine was set in. I could see the connection that was trying to be made with the fire and once again found myself admiring Cinna's work and attention to detail.<p>

I started looking around at the other tributes, this being the first time I saw any of them. I chose not to watch any of the reruns of the reapings, although I had started to wish I had. I wanted to see whom we were fighting against. None of the tributes really stuck out to me, until I saw the District 3 float being loaded with a little girl and a boy who was moving around in a wheel chair. It broke my heart a bit to see a tribute that would never be able to defend himself and a little girl being thrown into this mess. Were there really no people in District 3 willing to make a sacrifice for their own? At least for the ones so clearly not capable of fighting this battle?

"Santana," I got her attention quietly so as not to draw attention to us. "Do you know anything about the other tributes? I didn't watch any of the recaps."

"Not a lot. I can tell you who volunteered other than you." She started pointing out all the other volunteers, marking them as clear career tributes that had surely been preparing for the games. "Both of the District 2 tributes, as usual. There was actually a lot of debate there before they were chosen." She pointed towards the front of the line where my eyes were immediately drawn to the large form of their female tribute. She was a behemoth in gladiator clothing. I could only conjure images of her getting her hands on any one of the tributes here and tearing them apart. It wasn't a pretty sight. I almost didn't notice the muscled form next to her, but there he stood looking just as dangerous with his hair cut into single strip at the at the top of his head.

"Then there's the two from District 1. They scream trouble. The guy looks like a real slick piece of work from what I saw at the reaping. The girl volunteered, making sure to take a nice big bow for the cameras. I think she likes all the attention." The tributes she was referring to were right at the front of the line. The guy had short blonde hair and a grin on his face that just rubbed me the wrong way. The girl wasn't much better, looking very haughty considering she was sent here to potentially die. I couldn't help but notice that the two were keeping a certain amount of distance between them. Santana and I were certainly one of the few districts representing a united front.

"Was there anything else exciting?" I asked, wanting to know as much as I could.

"No, District 4 wasn't very exciting this year, so they probably won't join the career force." We were both looking around, unsure what else to make of the other districts. "Look, I don't want to be overly optimistic, but one of us may really have a shot at this." We shared a look, and decided to further the partnership look and held hands as the floats began to move. Despite whatever we had being formed out of necessity, I was glad for having it. I truly did want Santana to be the one to win this if it couldn't be me.

Just before we took off in full, Cinna rushed over and ignited our outfits with a grin. I couldn't feel any heat, which was a good thing. I was just going to have to trust him that it looked good. If anything, we would certainly win points for originality.

Being from District 12, we were usually the last for everything. We were the last ones to get any attention from the Capitol, we were the last ones to receive food and supplies, and we were the last ones to be revealed to the people for the games. On that day, it was a blessing. Before we ever made it out of the door into the eye of the public, the crowd was going crazy, everyone already picking favorites from whoever was playing the crowd the best. When Santana and I were revealed, there was a collective gasp, followed by a roar of applause so great I thought the sheer force would throw me off balance. The pure energy started flowing into me and, despite how I may have felt about these people; I needed them to love me. Santana's hand held firmly, I used my other to wave at the people cheering. I couldn't believe it, but we had stolen the entire show the second we were drawn into the light.

I looked up in time to see ourselves being shown on the screen, and we looked amazing. A magnificent flame surrounded us both, the embers trailing behind us as if they were extensions of our very bodies. Santana looked elegant, an effect heightened by the sheer level of confidence she always carried with her. The flames mixed with her hair, flowing in the wind behind us as we were carried forward.

For the first time in my life, I saw myself and didn't feel the deep urge to look away. I was always striving to make myself look perfect, when in reality it only served to make me see myself as passable as opposed to wanting to smash every mirror in my path. In that moment, seeing myself engulfed in flame, I couldn't look away. Cinna had achieved something brilliant, portraying exactly what I wanted to show the Capitol. My admittedly delicate features, although I hated to refer to them as such, were on full display. I was still me, but Cinna took that spark in me, that fire I had ignited in a fit of hope at making it home, and he personified it. Cinna brought my inner flame out for all to see; forcing them to look at me and not shove me aside just because of the way I looked or acted. My flame was burning brighter than that of anyone else, and the Capitol would know it.

When we made it to the end of our parade path, people were still screeching their approvals at our appearance. It was decided right then and there that District 12 had stolen the show. It was difficult to tell from where we stood, but I could see a few of the districts looking at us with pure hatred in their eyes. This was particularly true of the career tributes. We had certainly made some enemies that night, but we would stick to Sue's plan. As long as they didn't think we were a real threat, they would underestimate us. A moment of one of them giving us anything less than their all was all we needed.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" rang a voice. Looking up at where the president would be emerging any second, a little man with a large assortment of pink feathers on his head stood attempting to quell the storm Santana and I left in our wake. "People of Panem, I present to you president Bryan Ryan." The anthem began to play and president Ryan walked out to the crowd's applause.

"People of Panem, it is my pleasure to commence the 74th annual Hunger Games! Tributes, fight with honor for your country and your districts." President Ryan continued on with his usual speech about the games, and before long we were being carted off to where our teams waited.

I jumped off the float and went straight for Cinna, thanking him for the amazing look he had given us. If the only attention we got for the entire time leading up to the games was from the opening ceremony, we would still have a great shot at getting those sponsors. Cinna had done us a true service and I only wished I could repay him.

"Where's Sue? Shouldn't she be here to tell us all the things we did wrong?" Santana had a great point. I hadn't noticed the lack of our coach and was a little worried that she had abandoned us after all.

"Believe it or not, she's doing her job," piped in Will who was riding on a high from his district finally giving a good performance and making a splash. "I don't know what you guys did but, she's actually working this year. I've never seen her really try to help tributes before. She's already trying to sign sponsors." This was shocking news for both Santana and I, not having believed until that moment that she was really going to help us.

"Not that this isn't incredibly interesting, but we need to get you two ready. You have a party to go to tonight and you need to change into more appropriate attire." Cinna and the entire combined crew for District 12 led us away. Santana and I were brought to the same room this time and simply instructed to change our clothes. I was handed what I was to wear and was shocked to find that they were the exact same clothes I had picked out on the train that morning.

"Cinna, this is what I was wearing earlier. Is this really appropriate?"

"Yes, it is. What can I say, you have good taste," he told me with another wink. I didn't blush as deeply this time, but I wasn't used to being talked to like that. "And anyway, this isn't as formal an affair as you might be thinking. People want to come to these things and be fashionable, not bound up in couture. You look great." True to his word, Santana came out from where she had changed as was wearing a simple yet stylish red dress that looked like it was more for everyday wear rather than for special occasions. We looked good; not overdone but still like we were being shown off.

The event was held in a rose garden, hosted by the president himself. Although the tributes weren't allowed anywhere near the balcony where the president and the gamemakers were stationed, we were all sent out to mingle amongst the guests as well as the other tributes. It was just as we were about to move out that Sue finally appeared.

"Okay you two, this is where things get serious. You have everyone talking about you, now you need to keep it up. What you were doing out there, with the holding hands and crowd pandering, keep that up. Now, this is your only chance to really learn about your competition. Walk around separately, talk to them even if they hate you. Let these people see you as the nice ones and check in with each other often. This way, nobody will know if you're naive or a couple of manipulating shrews." She gave us the rundown of the way our evening needed to go and she was off just as fast, seemingly trying to net us more sponsors.

"I'm going to go scope out the careers, you take some of the other districts first," Santana informed me. "When we talk to a few people and see each other, we meet, talk a little bit and then dive out again. This was we stay together but we don't look like we're attached at each others hip." With that, she was off and I found myself walking around with very little purpose in mind. I was still trying to keep all of the tributes straight when a group of citizens came over asking me a million questions about my outfit at the ceremony. I tried to be as charming as I could, not really knowing how to play the crowd this close and personal. I did the best I could and felt encouraged when I realized my groupies were multiplying.

"Kurt!" a member of the crowd yelled, speaking with such familiarity you would have thought we were old friends. "Everyone is dying to know, what are you going to be doing for your talent?" The question threw me off guard, being that I hadn't given it a bit of thought.

"Well, I..."

"Unfortunately, we tributes aren't supposed to talk about that," came a voice I didn't know. It belonged to one of the male tributes, that much was obvious. I turned around just in time to see a large figure come up next to me and place an arm around my shoulder. I looked up and saw that the guy was huge. He had a very bulky frame, but the clothes he was wearing accented what could only be hard muscle. He had a smile on his face and looked more at ease with the large crowds than anyone else here. His smile only deepened when the people surrounding us realized that two tributes from different districts were this close. I certainly wasn't there by choice, but this lug wasn't having it any other way.

"Look, as much as we would love to sit here and tell you all our secrets, that would spoil all the fun for you guys. Just keep your eyes on us and you won't be disappointed." He worked the party guests right into his hand and they eventually thinned out, leaving me with this other tribute who was being suspiciously chummy with me. I looked at him as he released his hold on me a little and gave me a more earnest look than he had given the Capitol people. "Hey, I'm sorry if I was a little forward there. I thought you could use some help. You looked like there were a few times you were considering bolting." His answer to my unasked question seemed honest, but I couldn't fight off the suspicion.

"That, or were you worried because I was hogging all the sponsors?" I wasn't sure why, but I felt bad about saying it immediately. He looked a little hurt at first, but he seemed to understand where I was coming from.

"David," he said, offering me his hand. "David Karofsky. District 7." I took his hand and shook it, surprised when I found that his hands weren't as calloused as I would have thought. They were actually rather soft for someone so rugged looking.

"Kurt Hummel. District 12."

"Oh, I know who you are," he said with a laugh. "Everyone does after that little stunt you and the girl you're here with pulled. You're the Boy on Fire now."

"Ugh, are they really calling me that? That's terrible." I grimaced, wondering who came up with such a shallow, one-dimensional name.

"Yeah, they are. What? At least you get to be remembered. Isn't that what matters?" He asked, getting serious for a moment. He was right, it did matter.

"It isn't the only thing that matters," was my only response. It was quiet; barely audible. If Dave heard me, he never let on.

We talked a bit longer, somehow finding little things to discuss despite our current background. I couldn't place it, but this guy fascinated me. His smile was infectious and he knew how to make me laugh even if it was the last thing I wanted to do. For the briefest of moments, I forgot where I was. I wanted nothing more than to talk to this amazing person all night.

"Hey, so, good luck," said David with sincerity. He caught me completely off guard and drew me back to where we were.

"You too," Was all I could say back. How do you look your potential killer in the eye and wish them luck?

Santana chose that moment to pop in and step to my side. In a way, she put herself between David and me, giving him a look. Another girl came up and stepped up to David, looking at me with as much intensity that Santana was giving Dave.

"David," the girl said, "I think it's time we check in with our coach. It's getting rather crowded in here."

"Same for us, Kurt."

The girls led us away from each other and we spent the rest of the night being danced around somewhere else if we got too close. I kept catching his eyes from across the room and he would smile, giving me butterflies and blush to show for it. I had to curse myself many times as it wasn't the place to be swooning like Blaine was there.

Blaine. I hadn't given him a thought since I boarded the train and I was feeling guilty. What if he was watching at some point and saw Dave and I interacting? He would take it completely the wrong way, as there was nothing going on. How could there be?

I went to bed that night feeling guilty over Blaine. We left things in such a mess that I worried about what would happen if I made it back. I tried to comfort myself by thinking of all the times we shared together. These memories held no comfort to me, and instead I found myself mesmerized by thoughts of burly arms and hazel eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed. Only a few more chapters before the games begin!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**AN- I am so sorry that this took so long. Finals, new job, family issues…the usual excuses apply. Anyway, I'm back now with a shiny new update. My schedule has become more consistent now so hopefully the updates should be more frequent…I promise nothing in the way of them being regular though.**

_Italics-flashback**  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>I came slamming back into the conscious world much sooner than I would have liked. The exhaustion of the past few days was catching up with me already and it took a considerable amount of will power to open my eye lids and keep them that way. The rest of the night after my run in with Dave, the tribute from District 7, flashed by in a blur. The party had begun to break up shortly after Santana pulled me away and all the tributes were herded to the tower where we were staying until the start of the games. I let Will be excited for us at the accommodations. I had no clue where he got all of that excitement from; wondering if the Capitol put the district escorts through some kind of special training.<p>

Training, that was what Will had told us we would be starting leading up to the games. This was the only time that I would be able to pick up something that would give me an edge in the arena. I used the desire that I felt at wanting to see my dad again to push me out of bed and into survival mode for the foreseeable future.

I tried to walk myself through all the things I felt I needed to try to master in the short span that we had to learn new skills, but my mind refused to be logical. Instead, it was all I could do to picture the things my clearly stronger competitors would be able to do that I could not. Images of strong arms gripping large blades and long spears danced around in my head. In fact, it was the same pair of arms that kept playing out various actions with all the different weapons I had seen on the Hunger Games in years past. They were nice arms, only they happened to belong to a certain tribute that I still couldn't get out of my head the next day.

Why couldn't I forget about David? I refused to acknowledge the fact that he had invaded my dreams the entire night before and now his body kept muscling its way into my thoughts whenever possible. It couldn't be healthy to think about your would be killer like this. Although, if I was being honest, I really did want to be thinking about him. There was something in the way he talked to me that had me craving more of him, this anomaly in a world I thought I knew so well. The only thing I could be sure of was that when I spoke with David, I felt like an equal again; a feeling of control over my own destiny worming its way back into my heart.

_"So," Dave began, clearly wanting to make conversation despite my reluctance to. "District 12. That would make you a coal miner, wouldn't it?" _

_"Hardly," I scoffed, laughing at the mere thought of how useless I would be down in the coal mines. "We aren't all coal miners. It's more like the default. My dad is though." It was a lot of information considering who I was talking to, but I figured the point of this was to get information. Sometimes you need to give in order to get._

_"Must be nice. Unless you're lucky and rich enough to own one of the shops, there isn't much of a chance in getting out of our specialty. Maybe it's because there are so many different areas to what we do." I wracked my brain trying to remember what District 7 did, but David offered the information without my needing to ask. "We're lumber, by the way. That's what I do. I basically haul trees around."_

_"Well, that explains the arms." I blushed immediately, hoping that he didn't hear me. His laugh told me that it was a ridiculous hope. It really wasn't my plan to completely embarrass myself before we even made it into the arena. With any luck, there weren't any cameras around yet. I was supposed to be an underdog wannabe, not a gushing schoolboy._

_"I'm glad you think so highly of my arms. I'll be sure to remember that." He started making little poses, and I couldn't help but laugh. Just because I humiliated myself didn't mean I couldn't appreciate the moment. "Do you always just say what's on your mind? I'm just asking, because this could get dangerous."_

_"I've been told I have a habit of putting my foot in my mouth, now that you mention it."_

_"Good," he said, giving me a devilish grin. "We're going to have a lot of fun then."_

It was so innocent when we started talking, there being no way of knowing that me making a bit of a fool of myself would turn into a conversation that would take us well into the night. Truth be told, it wasn't something I was used to. David gave me his full attention and asked questions about me. We never delved into anything personal, but it was still nice to have someone care enough to ask about my opinion on something instead of just assuming I agree with their view. That was usually the way things went with Blaine.

There it was again, me having to slam Blaine to the forefront of my mind after devoting a fairly good chunk of time thinking of something else. It wasn't that I felt I owed Blaine any substantial amount of equity in my thoughts, especially considering where I was and how things ended when I was carted off to the Capitol. It was more to do with the fact that Blaine was becoming easier to forget, slipping into the realm of distant memory after only a few days' time. I think I was more afraid of the implications of that than anything else.

In all honesty, Santana should have stepped in sooner than she did. I accomplished next to nothing when all was said and done and, therefore, had no use to our little alliance. As close as Santana and I were becoming out of necessity, I wouldn't put it past her to dispose of me in a heartbeat if I was holding her back. I couldn't blame her for it either.

Not knowing how else to handle my David issue, I dressed myself in my training clothes and followed the intoxicating smells of breakfast to the District 12 team, already up and assembled without me. I was falling further behind by the second.

We went over strategy over breakfast. It was already decided that Santana and I would hold back until our private training sessions. I still didn't know what I could show the gamemakers to impress them when the time came, but I would get there when the time came. For now, I needed to build some survival skills. I knew a fair bit about living off the land from what Blaine has shown me, but that was mostly theoretical knowledge with a lacking of the practical skills that came along with it. If I simply looked into ways to keep myself alive, would that keep attention away from me? I wouldn't look like much of a threat that way; just make the others think they will have to actually find me instead of waiting for me to die on my own.

Sue explained that the key to our underdog strategy in order to get sponsors required two main things from us: likability and a possible chance of surviving. The thought was if they loved us enough, they would want to give us every opportunity to succeed in spite of our disadvantages.

"Okay, we get it," Santana broke in around the fourth time Sue was reiterating our strategy. "We have to get people to like as and have some sort of odds in our favor. It will be hard, but we can do it." She was getting frustrated at this point, not one to go over the same details countless times when she would rather get right to work. "Can we move on now? Right now I'm a little more concerned with myself, not some crowd I need to pander to." I was about to agree with her, but seeing Sue's face made me rethink that decision.

"Well, I'm glad you think you have everything figured out. Except, that is only the first level of what you two need to accomplish. Remember the other Tributes? You know, the ones that are going to try and kill you? Well, they matter in this too, believe it or not." Santana shut her mouth and let Sue continue, looking much the part of the scolded child Sue was treating her like. "Everything you two do will be seen by two separate but very important groups. Yes, you know what you need to do to get the sponsors, but how will those actions be seen by your competition? You need to be constantly vigilant and purposeful in your actions because from here on out, everything you do will have a double purpose. Something to endear the audience needs to make those other tributes scoff. Only at the last second can we pull the rug out from under those kids and shine your lights right into their faces. Frankly, it's the only real chance you two have."

She left us to consider her words, giving us time to truly grasp what she needed from us. It was like we would be playing two games at the same time. We had to make the same moves in each game, but the rules were drastically different. Only by winning both did we stand a chance.

"You're right, Sue," I spoke up, needing more from her than I thought she was willing to give. "I know what your strategy is in theory, but we need you. Can we take this day by day right now? What do you want us to do today?" I figured the simpler I could make this, the better our chances. Just like the game we were playing. One day at a time and one move at a time. Sue regarded me for a minute before a ghost of a smirk crossed her features. She spoke and I was relieved that no insults passed from her lips. She spoke with simple clarity, her words having more meaning than before.

"Today is your one and only day to scope and plan. Every single minute after today needs to count so this is all you can afford to not put everything into learning or honing skills. You are going to be in that room with a bunch of people who are bigger, faster, stronger, and, in some cases, smarter than you are." The mood in the room sobered, the acknowledgment of Sue's words hanging in the air like a thick fog. "Like we discussed, I don't want you two showing off. This is the time when everyone is forming strategies and what happens in the training sessions will set a lot of plans into motion. We want those plans to include setting you two up for failure and then breaking them. So, what won't you be doing today?"

"I've been thinking a lot about that," began Santana, sounding almost unsure of how her next words would be received. "I think I'll stay away from anything projectile like knives and bows. I may not have the highest accuracy, but I do have good reflexes. If I can find a way to show off how good I am under pressure, I think I may actually be able to pull out an above average score in the private training." Sue nodded, remembering the way Santana was able to rebuff Sue's attempt at throwing the knife back to us on the train.

This brought it back to me, and the fact that Sue most likely expected me to be a good knife thrower after my little stunt. It didn't do me any good to lie to Sue, I reasoned with myself.

"I suppose now would be a good time to tell you that it was a fluke that I was able to throw the knife like I did."

"Porcelain, I am insulted. Did you really think you could get one past Sue Sylvester? The mere fact that the knife didn't just fall out of your hand and pierce that girly foot of yours was nothing short of a miracle. Now, what can you do?"

"That's the thing, I'm not sure yet."

"Then you had better figure it out before your private session." She had said it like it was the simplest thing in the world. "Just mess around with the things they have in the center and don't excel at anything until then. You had better be ready to deliver when the time comes though." That was all that was said on the matter and I was still as lost as I had been since I woke up that morning. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>"So, did you find anything else out about the others last night?" I asked, trying to make conversation with Santana. She was clearly still upset with me over the whole David thing; however, still keeping up the air of neutrality and respect we had established, she gave in and told me what she knew while we waited for the other tributes down near the training center.<p>

"I got some names. Nobody was really up for talking. Although, quite a few were bragging about being the next winner. That was mostly by the boys from Districts 1 and 2. The guy from 2 with the weird haircut goes by Puck, and I have no idea if that's his real name. The big girl with him is Lauren. She doesn't really talk much, but she has the power to back up that intimidation factor. Even that Puck guy looked a little afraid of her." I laughed a little at this, finding a great deal of humor in someone as tough looking as this Puck guy being afraid of Lauren. I couldn't blame him though.

"The slime ball from District 1 is Sebastian. He has this way of talking like he owns everyone here. The blonde bitch is Quinn," Santana said, putting a great deal of disgust in her tone at the mention of the District 1 girl. I wondered what had happened when the two girls met, but was afraid to suffer any kind of wrath that came from Santana.

"Did you find out anything about the non-careers?" I prodded, at least wanting to be able to identify some of the other tributes.

"Just some more names. People were suspicious." Santana went on to fill me in on the names of most of the other tributes. The guy in the wheel chair from District 3 was Artie and the girl with him was Becky.

"That girl was a little...off too. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I got the feeling that she wasn't all there." That was the last thing I needed to hear, adding more sympathy I felt to the doomed duo from District 3.

Santana also told me that the big guy from 6 was Azimio, who was here with Brittany, the cute blonde, over Quinn being the bitchy blonde. I noticed the way she lit up a little at the mention of the Brittany girl, but I let it go. District 8 was represented by some recluse named Jesse and a girl who went by Mercedes. 10 had the giant, Finn, which Kurt had seen a few times in line ups. He was here with some peppy girl named Rachel.

"That midget is seriously getting on my nerves and I only met her once. She would not shut up about herself. I seriously just wanted to hit her." She shrugged off her frustration, although I felt sorry for this Rachel girl if Santana came across her in the arena.

"Anyone else?"

"Well, there's Trouty Mouth in District 4."

"Did you just call someone Trouty Mouth? Somehow, I really don't think that's his name." I said with an amused chuckle.

"You didn't see his lips," was all she mumbled as more tributes started to file in. I began matching the names to the few tributes I knew about from Santana, making a list of who needed to be avoided like the plague.

When David came off the elevator, I felt my stomach twist at the sight of him. As much as I was trying to keep him out of my mind, I would be lying if I said I didn't find him attractive. It was simply a matter of taste, and he filled my tastes well. However, I underestimated the effect that seeing him in a tight training outfit would have on me. The self-adjusting clothes these Capitol people wore left nothing to the imagination. I managed to draw my eyes away from his broad chest only to be drawn in by the arms of my dreams. Apparently I had a thing for arms. What took me away was when our eyes met, and I was greeted with a smile that took me to a place I've never been; never with Blaine anyway.

"If you're done drooling," came Santana's voice, breaking through my fantasies of David, "they're letting us in now."

"Oh, right." I made my way with Santana, reluctantly breaking contact with the Dave. It was still baffling me as to why this man I barely knew was having this effect on me. I was forced to think of Blaine and how it was never like this. There were mutual feelings, some burning cheeks and that was about it. This was searing heat all the way. Whatever it was, it was out of control and I didn't like it.

When we were all gathered in the room, someone came forward and explained to us how the training sessions would work. Essentially, we were free to do whatever we wanted as long as we didn't actually spar with any of the other tributes. Outside of those scenarios, we could train in any way and with whomever we wanted. We were also informed that the gamemakers would be wandering around from time to time, assessing our skills.

"How do you want to do this?" asked Santana, looking to me to take the lead on this one.

"Why don't we start on survival skills training and see where that takes us? Let's learn what we can from there and then we can each try and find some other things we're good at." With a nod of agreement, Santana and I took off together to work on skills like snares and surviving off of things found in nature. These were probably the least visited stations as most of the other tributes went straight for whatever their favorite weapons were.

It became apparent quickly that I knew a bit more than I thought I did about taking care of myself in the elements. It took me a few tries, but after some practice I was applying skills I had seen Blaine use hundreds of times on my own. My skills were unpolished, but they could keep me fed. It also became apparent that Santana would need to spend more time learning the basics of survival than I would, so we agreed to separate from there.

Staying with the general theme that we started with, I continued within the natural stations and stayed away from weapon training for the time being. While I felt comfortable with my ability to identify things that were edible, my knowledge was limited by what populated the area directly surrounding District 12. The attendant of the station walked me through the program on the computer that ran through teaching sessions followed by tests to rank skill. The sessions were all filled with random plants, roots, and berries so as to not give away anything that would be available in the arena.

"Keep in mind that your scores can come in handy later when the gamemakers are giving you your individual score. These little things that they can evaluate can make all the difference between a good score and a mediocre one." The attendant left me to my own devices after that, leaving me to work on a computer terminal for the first time in my life.

The system was easy enough to use, and I soon found myself being tested at the simplest level. I aced my way through three tests before I was tapped to step aside, other tributes deciding to give the station some attention. Feeling confident that I had a good place to start and work on in later training sessions, I gladly moved away from survival skills to get a better handle on what else the training center had to offer. Unfortunately, aside from the weapons training, there weren't a lot of other stations for me to spend my time at. I suppose I may have been putting off the inevitable, but I was very hesitant to pick up one of the weapons. There was a difference between knowing what I was here to do and practicing to do it. I promised myself that I would get to that stage of training after lunch was served, not entirely convinced that I would.

Santana and I met up for lunch, keeping up our unified front. There wasn't anything to report, nothing to strategize, and nothing to do. We could only hope that something panned out over the course of this training that would give us what we needed to survive. If the first day was going to be any indication of things, then it could mean trouble for us.

After lunch, I went back over to the weapons stations to fulfill the promise I made to myself. Everything was either too big or required too much precision for me to be effective with. Regardless, I tried out everything I could get my hands on. There were some weapons I had never seen before, being of a much larger tech grade than would ever be seen in the districts and therefore I found myself baffled at how to use them. I made full use of the station attendants who showed me how to use something they called an automated crossbow. I had always seen bows as something that required a lot of skill to be able to use in combat since the reload time it takes for someone without skilled hands could become a large disadvantage. This thing was able to immediately replace the arrow as soon as one fired. I wasn't the best shot with it, but it was something I could work on and add to the list of things I hoped I could get my hands on in the arena.

I tried working with some of the smaller swords, but it wasn't going well when I saw the other larger tributes using the things with such skill. I would keep the practice up, but it was starting to look bleaker for me as far as being able to fight was concerned.

When it was called that we only had another hour left in the day. I decided to do a last rotation to an area of the center that had remained largely ignored by the rest of the group. There were tables set up with various things that looked like games. There were also a couple of computer stations set up much like the plant recognition station. In the entire day, not one person had come over to work at any of the stations, leaving the attendant looking rather bored. I walked over to him and saw the surprise on his face at seeing a tribute interested in his games.

"Need any help with the stations?" he asked, peaking up at the attention.

"What are these for?"

"They're strategy games," he said simply, earning a blank expression from me. "They're here for you guys to exercise your minds and learn some basic strategy." I nodded, seeing the limited use something like this possessed. In the end though, how far would strategy take you without the muscle?

"Okay, I see. So, what are the games? How do I play them?" I couldn't see these things keeping me alive, but I was determined to end the day on a bright note, even if it was a useless win that the high note was on.

The mechanics of the games were simple enough. In fact, by the end of the hour, I had already mastered the rules of the three table top games. It was the strategy of them that had me stumped. In a matter of minutes each time I started the games, the computer would make moves that were perfectly timed, having been set up as soon as I started moving in any pattern. The things were designed to see our methods and counter them. Perhaps I, like the others, had discounted the usefulness of such practice. If I could learn to do what the computer was doing and rip apart plans before they were even fully laid out, what types of things could I accomplish? I would be sure I didn't forget about these stations in the future.

Then, as soon as the day had started, it was over. A full day of training down and I still didn't feel very confident. At the very least, I knew where I would spend my time. It was a small comfort to know that much, but I would take it. I was pretty short on comfort as it was.

* * *

><p>The next day, the room was filled with more purpose for everyone. Reporting back to Sue on our first day had gone better than either Santana or I had thought it would. Where we thought we had wasted a full day, she must have seen potential. We were told to keep working on everything we had started to learn and go from there. That had me once again starting at the identification computer, raising my rank on the tests with relative ease. It was a much needed boost to my very fragile ego.<p>

"Wow, Fancy. I never would have thought you were good with this kind of thing." Dave's voice came out of nowhere, shaking me from my little personal victory. I turned around and there he was, big grin in place. It was only after stopping my heart from bursting out of my chest that I could recall what he had said to make me jump in the first place.

"What did you just call me?"

"What? It's something about the way you carry yourself. You're just very fancy." It was a simple matter to him, the question thrown off with a shrug.

"Fine, I'll keep that in mind, Ham hock." It was the first thing I could come up with, and I would be damned if he didn't get an equally humiliating nickname. He gave a pointed look but let the name slide off his back with a shrug. "Is there something I can help you with? If not, this is a really bad attempt at spying."

"Like I need to spy on you. I think I could get you to spill all your secrets with pretty minimal effort."

"Oh sure, think so little of me. You'll regret it." Against all better judgments, I found myself laughing with him. David was easy, in a way he shouldn't have been. If I was a cynical person by nature, I would have assumed that he was just being friendly in order to gain some kind of advantage in the arena. No matter how much I threw the possibility around in my head, I couldn't bring myself to accuse him of such things. I was ready to fight my own mind to keep the image I had of David so far as clean and innocent as possible. I couldn't let go of this only good thing I had been given since being whisked away from District 12. I would risk being called a naive fool to hold on to my David as long as I could.

"So, were you just planning on hogging this for yourself all day or were you actually going to do something useful?"

"I'll have you know that this can be very useful. You won't be laughing when I'm nice and fed and you're choking on a poisonous berry." In any other situation, there was no way this could pass for humor. It was interesting to note all the things that the Hunger games changed about us. Regardless, we laughed and before we knew it, we found ourselves going through the training stations together.

For the rest of the morning, we moved together around the various stations. We never actually did anything together, having enough respect for the fact that we were each other's competition that we didn't want to appear nosy. We would stay in the general area and we wouldn't move on unless the other was ready to do so. When I broke it down in my head, we were probably wasting more time than was necessary. There were some areas that I wouldn't have kept at for long if I wasn't waiting for David and I'm sure he felt the same way at some points. It was the talking we did between stations that made it all worth it.

We made it to lunch with each of us having spent a good amount of time with weapons we were getting comfortable with. I was becoming more comfortable with the crossbow, despite the fact that my accuracy wasn't improving as quickly as I would have liked. From what I could tell while I was doing my best not to watch David, he had a good arm for swords and spears. It was a good thing to note for the future.

We walked into the lunchroom to find twenty-two sets of eyes watching us intently. I noticed Santana sitting where we had been yesterday, looking at me with concern. I felt uncomfortable, almost like I was betraying her. I chanced a glance at David, and he looked about as uncomfortable as I was. We walked to an empty table in silence and sat together, the mood in the room taking a shift at the action. The room felt oppressive under the intense scrutiny, when I finally realized what we had just done. David and I formed the first inter-district alliance of the games. None of the supposed careers had formed a group as of yet, meaning we had just made a very strong public statement.

I didn't want to look, but my eyes did eventually drift over to Santana. She looked livid, no doubt accosting me in her head for how stupidly I had ruined what we were working for. David was looking across the room to another lone tribute, the girl from his district who pulled him away from me the other night. If Santana looked furious, she looked murderous. Suddenly, leaving with Santana at the end of the day didn't seem so bad.

"I think we're in trouble, Fancy." I could only nod in agreement.

* * *

><p><strong>AN- If you have the time, I would love a review. **


End file.
